Legend of Zelda: The Sword of the Winds
by OceanFlame
Summary: Seven years have passed normally after Ganondorf was defeated. Only problem is, he manages to break loose, and now Link and the OoT gang must find a way to get rid of him for good. Rating might go up later due to battle scenes. Please Review!
1. New Beginnings

He floated in his prison of white, raging at the outside world. "It was all mine!" the demented creature roared into the emptiness, "I came so close to having complete power, but that wretched brat ruined everything!" As the crazed man floated in nothingness, his thoughts once again ran over the events of his downfall in agonizing detail. The battle against Link in his tower, being defeated and then revived by his Triforce of Power, and once again being defeated by him with the help of that wench, Zelda. Ganondorf rocked in the eternal prison the sages had trapped him in, vowing revenge on those he despised.

Link checked his hair in the mirror one more time before throwing his Kokiri hat on. Normally he didn't primp like this, but today was special. It was finally the day he was going to ask Zelda to marry him. After returning to Hyrule from Termina, seven years had passed normally, without Ganondorf's evil effects on the land. Link was a regular guest at the castle now, no more sneaking past guards for him! He still carried the Master Sword around with him, the Ocarina of Time too. Chuckling under his breath, Link knew it was just because he was too sentimental to give them up. Even if he was still the Hero of Time, he hadn't done any serious battling in a long time. Hyrule had been overall disaster free since Ganondorf was sealed away. It almost seemed like things were too quiet though. Laughing aloud this time, Link brushed his ridiculous thoughts away for happier thing as he finished getting ready.

"Liiiiiink! Hey Link!" called a familiar voice from below his Kokiri tree house. Saria was still inseparable from Link, after he had returned home she barely ever left her side. Not that he minded though, not only did he get to be with his old friend; he got to play bodyguard whenever she felt like going to the forest temple. Despite the fact that it was as if Ganondorf had done nothing to harm the world, somehow the sages had all been awakened in this time frame when he defeated Ganon and they sealed him away. No one really understood it, but Zelda hypothesized that it was due to the huge amount of power the sages had drawn on, as well as that there had to be someone to maintain the seals on his realm. Everyone else just shrugged it off, leaving complicated ideas like this to the holder of the Triforce of Wisdom. A slight smile grew on Link's face as he thought of the feisty princess. He was snapped out of his reverie by a child-sized hand waving in his face. "Link! Helloo!! Snap out of whatever daydream your in, I've got important news!"

Giving his head a quick shake, a sheepish Link replied, "Whoops, sorry Saria, I guess I was just think about my plans for the day," which was quite truthful. "Did you need something?" he asked, smiling down at his cute friend.

"Nothing much, I just wanted to know what's going on today. We could go out to the forest temple if you like. It's been a few weeks, and I'm sure a few monsters must have popped up that need to be taken care of. However, since you've apparently been thinking about what we're going to do, why don't you tell me?" she answered with an impish smile. "Unless, you just made that excuse up on the spot because you were daydreaming about a certain princess." Link scratched the back of his neck and scuffed his boots, a bad habit he'd been doing for years, as Saria fought not to burst out in giggles. "Yup, just as I thought," she smirked, as Link turned bright red, another habit he didn't have much control over. Despite the fact he held the strength of the Triforce of Courage, he had always been bashful when it came to women. Which reminded him....how was he going to tell Ruto?

"Um, actually Sar, I was hoping to go to the castle today. By myself." Seeing the downcast look that suddenly appeared on her face, Link quickly explained. "It's not that I don't want to spend time with you Saria, I love doing that. It's just that....well, I think I'm finally going to ask Zelda to marry me today."

Saria raised an eyebrow, obviously skeptical. "Are you sure about this? I know you've been stuck on her ever since your adventures, but whatever happened to everyone else who fell for you? What about Ruto? Or m.., uh, Malon?" Saria broke off, staring at her feet. Both knew she had just stopped short of saying "me."

"Saria," Link said quietly, "I'm Hylian, not Kokiri. I need to be with another Hylian. You're my best friend in the world, and as much as I do like you, it wouldn't work." After a momentary pause, he continued, "Despite the fact that I love you, I guess it's more like I'd love a sister. As for Malon and Ruto, well I'm sure they'll be fine. Ruto needs another Zora to keep up her family's line, and Malon just likes to flirt. The real question, though, is are you going to be ok, Saria?"

Saria looked up and gave Link a faint smile. "Of course I will be, just don't forget about all of us here once you're the high and might ruler of Hyrule. I knew this was coming, I guess I just wanted to spend all the time I could with you before you left again."

Link slowly mulled this over in his mind. He knew Saria had feelings for him, but he figured they'd wear off in time. The last thing he wanted was to make her feel bad, but it looked like there just wasn't anyway around it this time. Heaving a sigh, he said, "Saria, I need to get going. Even riding Epona it's a fair distance to the castle. If you want, it's fine if you come along. The guards have said how much they enjoy watching you play in the Royal Garden." All that got him was a little smile and a polite, "some other time," though.

As Link headed for the ladder out of his tree house, Saria suddenly perked up and asked, "Can I at least see the ring?" Link was about halfway down the ladder, and abruptly got a shocked look on his face and fell the rest of the way to the ground, landing on his rump.

"Damn it! I knew I forgot something!!!"

The maniacal Ganondorf screamed in his unbreakable prison. Casting his wrath to the world of white, punching the air, but finding nothing solid. "I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!!!!" he raged, his cries of fury echoing into the distance. The pitiable creature held little resemblance to the proud man locked away by the sages. He was a wreck; a screaming, seething wreck. But he wasn't broken. His anger gave him purpose, never allowing him to give up against the void, keeping his spirit alive. Ganondorf's wits were another matter though entirely.

"REEEEEEEEVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Princess Zelda, future ruler of Hyrule, holder of the Triforce of Wisdom, and the Sage of Wisdom, was feeling impatient. 'Where is Link?' she wondered. He had promised to be here over an hour ago! Drumming her fingertips on the windowsill in her room, she stared out over the castle grounds. Sometimes she positively hated being royalty; people always had to come to you. As she continued staring out her window, she heard a loud CLINK right underneath where she was leaning off the sill. Stepping back out of shock, she gasped a little when Link swung into her room, hookshot in hand. Chuckling, she remarked, "You never could just use the door could you?"

Putting the tool away, Link answered with a grin, "Sure, but that's the boring way!" Crossing the room, he lifted Zelda up and swung her around once saying, "You'll never guess what today is!"

Puzzled, Zelda tried to rack her brain, but even the keeper of the Triforce of Wisdom had problems thinking when she was being spun around by Link. "I'm sure I have no idea, Link. It's not your birthday, or mine for that matter, I can say that much."

Setting the blond girl down, Link grabbed her hand and backed away in a flourishing motion and replied with a grin, "Why, this is the exact day I beat Ganondorf!" After Zelda was through realizing he was right, she let out a silvery laugh. Link loved that laugh almost as much as he loved Zelda herself. Dropping down to one knee, he added, "It's also the day I ask you to marry me." The surprise and joy openly displayed on Zelda's face, he continued, "So uh, will you, Zel?"

Dropping into a hug that threatened to strangle the Hero of Time, she whispered, "Yes, of course yes you silly fairy boy!" With that said, the new fiancés left off with words for the time being.

"I WANT MY REVENGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Ganondorf once again screamed. Writhing with anger, he barely even had other thoughts any longer. Only variations of how he would kill Link.

"Of course you do, that's quite understandable," replied a calm, educated voice. As the shell of a man that once was Ganondorf whirled around in his prison, the voice gave a low laugh. "I'm right here, my lord," the voice soothed, as a short wizard appeared near the crazed Gerudo. He wore colorful robes with a wide hat, but his face seemed as empty as a Skull Kid's. "Now," he continued to the befuddled man, "You surely must be wondering how I've gotten here. Seven years ago, you were sealed in this realm, and all your works undone. During those years, I have watched and waited for the seals to weaken, and now, Zelda has finally dropped her guard. We must leave this place at once, Master."

As the reality of the situation dawned on Ganondorf, he nodded to his loyal follower. "Go ahead then, get us out of here."

Bowing deeply, the wizard replied, "As my Lord Ganondorf commands." With that, the realm of white seemed to shimmer around them, and in the space of a blink, they were standing at the edge of Lake Hylia.

Surveying the area, Ganondorf hardly fought to keep the maniacal grin off his face. He was back, and the revenge he'd dreamed of for seven long years was finally within his grasp. Looking down at the wizard, he frowned and asked, "So what name do you go by?"

The short man's toothy smile appeared from the shadowy depths of his face and replied in a hoarse voice, "You may call me Tranz. Master."

So there we go! Please review if you can manage to cram it into your oh so busy schedule, I'm sure I could use the input. Since this is the first time I've tried this, don't be too tough with any flames! Thanks!


	2. Plan of Action

Chapter 2

Alright, the first chapter wasn't much, but it starts to pick up here. -

Zelda awoke with a frown on her face. Ever since a little after she and Link had been married, her dreams had been troubled. Before, all she could remember was a bad feeling, but last night, her vision took shape. It was so similar to the prophecy she'd had seven years ago foretelling Link and Ganondorf, she shivered despite the warmth of the bed. Turning over carefully, she watched Link as he lay softly snoring. In her dream those same black storm clouds had loomed on the horizon again, and once more he had appeared to battle them. Oddly enough, there was a fairy by his side, or at least what looked like one. Navi had left him years ago, though. If the whole idea of Ganondorf being involved wasn't unsettling enough, Zelda could sense some underlying evil in the dream as well. As Link grumbled in his sleep, the princess couldn't help but wonder if he felt the same stirrings of evil in her dreams as she did. Sighing, she ran her fingers through his hair, feeling the need to get up.

Cracking an eye open, Link remarked sleepily, "This is such a nicer way to wake up than having Navi yell at me." Zelda still had trouble understanding why he missed the little sprite so much, but he'd tried to explain to her a few times that once you got used to something it was hard to let go. Although how anyone could have been fond of the persistent pest was beyond her. Stretching and letting out a yawn, Link sat up and asked, "So, how did you sleep, Zel?" After taking a closer look at her face though, he frowned himself and said, "More bad dreams I take it then."

Nodding and plopping back against her pillow again, Zelda stared and the ceiling and replied, "They were different this time. I saw things more clearly in this dream." Looking over at Link, she saw he had one eyebrow raised in curiosity and continued, "It was like the dream I had before we met. I saw Ganondorf's dark clouds, you coming to the rescue, with a fairy nonetheless, and I could feel another evil." After a moment she added, "I think it's time we had a talk with the sages."

Nodding agreement, Link hugged his wife, holding her chin and staring in her eyes. With a steely voice that almost made his eyes seem soft he said, "I've beat him before, and if he has come back, I swear to you I will do it again." Then he kissed her forehead and went to go get dressed.

"Hah," Saria laughed to Ruto, "He's gone two weeks and already there's trouble in paradise. I wonder why we were all called to the castle." Frowning, the short sage looked around as all the others gathered, leaving only the happy couple absent. "Did Zelda mention anything more to you, Ruto?" she asked.

"Nothing," the pretty Zora replied. "I imagine though," she continued, "that it must be very important if we've all been summoned in secrecy.' Yawning, she ruefully added, "In the dead of night too! You'd think they would have the decency to show up on time for something supposedly this urgent."

As if on cue, Link and Zelda entered the room. More than one sage raised eyebrows in surprise to see the Master Sword with Link. They all knew he still had it, along with other items accumulated in his travels, but there was hardly ever any need to bring it with him anywhere. This meeting must be very serious indeed.

"Friends," Link began as he sat down, "It appears we have a situation on our hands. Zelda has been having visions again, ones that seem to indicate Ganondorf is loose." The statement seemed to have a widespread effect on the room. Rauru and Darunia seemed as stone-faced and sober as ever, if not a little tighter around the eyes. On the other side of the spectrum though, Saria looked crushed, and Impa was worriedly over at Zelda. It took a lot for a Sheikah to show any sort of emotion of her face.

Continuing, he added, "Judging from the visions, there is also someone helping him." Link proceeded to tell the details of the dream to the sages, all who had grave looks on their faces. No one in the room had been spared from Ganondorf's terror, and they all knew what would happen if he gained power again. "Thankfully, it seems we have some time to prepare for him. We're all stronger now, that's a help. I'm not a kid stuck in an adult's body this time, and all of you have been awake for seven years more than our first encounter with Ganondorf." Crossing his arms and looking thoughtfully at the rest of the group, he asked, "So just how are we going to beat this bastard?"

After a moment, Rauru cleared his throat. "I believe I may have heard of a solution. Legend says that in addition to the Sages' temples, there are four more scattered throughout Hyrule. They are meant to protect powerful weapons that allow the bearer to wield the elements." Looking around the room, he noticed the dubious looks on the others' faces. "If we want to destroy Ganondorf for good, then we need to separate him from the Triforce of Power. With that, he will be revived every time Link kills him. Without it, he is quite mortal indeed."

Ruto finally piped up asking, "So how are these weapons supposed to help us do that?"

"The legend names the four items as the Hammer of Earth, the Bow of the Waters, the Axe of Fire, and the Sword of the Winds. While all are said to be powerful in their own right, the Sword of the Winds can cut anything, including a person's link to the Triforce. If Link were to use it to kill Ganondorf, it would sever his link from the Triforce of Power, and he'd be gone forever.

"Great!" Link smiled, "I can't believe I only have to do one temple this time! It seems too easy!"

Grinning ruefully, Rauru replied, "Sorry, but that is too easy. In order for the Sword to be strong enough to cut Ganondorf off from his Triforce piece, it needs the other three weapons there to lend it strength."

Let his head smack on the table, Link muttered, "I knew it...I just knew it...." Lifting himself back up a little, he asked, "So not only do I have to go to three more temples now, you want me to fight Ganondorf and whatever little followers he still has with a bow, hammer, and axe on my back too? That's way too heavy! I could never move!"

Laughing, Rauru answered, "Well it looks like this won't be a solo mission then. Three of the sages will have to go with you. I would say all of us, but without strong weapons, the others might just get in the way. I'll...I mean, they'll still be able to give telepathic advice of course."

"Don't worry old man, I wasn't planning on dragging you along anyway," Link told him as he rolled his eyes. "Well, I'll take the sword, of course. Hmm...Darunia, it seems right that you have the Axe of Fire, it's your element of course." Frowning over at Saria and Ruto, he continued, "Somehow I don't think I can bring you two along though. The other weapons are your elements, but there's no way you could even lift the hammer, Saria, and Ruto, I've seen you try to shoot a bow before." Glancing at his wife, he said, "Zelda's always been a good archer, she should get the bow. Now as for the Hammer of Earth, it seems like Nabooru should get it, sorry Impa."

Nodding her approval, Impa calmly stated, "I agree, Link. Somehow I can't see myself fighting with a hammer. Besides, someone has to stay behind and keep an eye on the castle."

Standing up, Link said with conviction, "Then it's decided. We'll leave in the morning for the closest temple. Get a good night's rest everybody; I'm sure we'll all need it. Rauru, I'll need you to tell me all you know about these things. Everyone else, get going."

Among yawns and a quiet groan from Rauru, Link thought to himself, "This better damn well work."

So there's the second chapter, hope you enjoyed it. Once again, please review. Hopefully I'll get another chapter up soon, who knows what I'll think of what I'll come up with while I'm on vacation with my family.....woohoo.......


	3. The Mountain of Two Hammers

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I'm poor, I own nothing, blah blah blah, don't sue me.......

Well, here's another chapter up, dunno how much sense this is going to make though....inspiration hasn't been hitting me any earlier than midnight lately. yawn enjoy....

Link yawned loudly as he stretched in bed. "Come on you," Zelda said as she poked him, "It's almost dawn, you're going to be late for your own mission if you don't get out of bed!!!" She had been up for hours already, who could sleep at a time like this? Of course, she had fallen asleep long before Link crept into their room after interrogating Rauru on everything he knew about these fabled weapons. To think, she was supposed to actually wield one of them! _The Bow of the Waters..., _she mused to herself, _It certainly sounds interesting, I just hope I can manage to use it to help Link. _"Hurry up, sleepyhead!" she pestered, giving the edge of their bed a light kick.

"One of these days," Link tried to glare sleepily, "I swear you're going to turn into Navi." Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he continued, "Which reminds me, have you had any more visions involving our old blue friend?"

"None that are any different," Zelda frowned, "Anyway, you get dressed, I've gotten everything packed already. I'm going to go find Nabooru and Darunia. Hopefully they'll be ready on time, unlike others I know of," she smiled playfully and added, "You know, if you actually woke up early once in awhile, we might have time for other things in the morning besides me working to get you out of bed."

Grinning, Link asked, "Such as?"

Laughing lightly, Zelda bent down to give him a not so light kiss. "Things we simply don't have time for right now. I'll be in the Grand Hall with the others when you're ready."

Ganondorf smiled at the sight of the sun rising from his vantage point on a hill. It was amazing how such a simple thing could hold this much splendor. Perhaps he should make the rising sun his emblem...then again, it seemed a bit, bright. His current rearing snake suited him much better. "Tranz," he summoned in a cool voice, not taking his eyes from the view.

"Yes, Master?" the short wizard asked as he fuzzily appeared next to the Gerudo.

"Report," he commanded in the same monotone, still gazing across the lake.

"Of course, Master," the wizard droned, "As you well know, I've been working to recruit your old forces. The majority of the appear to be...deceased, however. Evidently young Link has been keeping busy."

Hissing at the mention of the Hero of Time's name, Ganondorf turned and grabbed his minion by the collar, roaring, "HOW DARE YOU SPEAK THAT BASTARD'S NAME!?" Getting a hold of himself, he continued icily, "Soon that brat will die, and the only place _anyone_ will find his name is in the histories, as a pathetic fool who tried to oppose the Great King Ganondorf.

"Yes, Master, so it shall be," Tranz stated calmly. "Now, would you like me to report on what I've heard from my spies in the castle?" Ganondorf nodded, half to himself it seemed, and set the aged wizard down. "My sources tell me that...the boy, the princess, and the sages Nabooru and Darunia are leaving this morning. Apparently on some sort of secret mission, not even my highest placed spies know where they're heading."

"They couldn't have found out about me yet..." Ganondorf muttered to himself. "Then again, Zelda could have had one of her damnable prophecies again, she has a bad habit of doing that. We need to prepare as though they're heading straight for us, Tranz. It's past time we did something here other than hiding in the hills."

"So, kid," Nabooru smiled, "Where are we off to first?" The group had gathered in the Grand Hall, just as Zelda said, and were ready to be on their way. Even though the sun was barely up, everyone was anxious to get going.

Looking at the others, Link answered, "According to Rauru, the closest would be your weapon-to-be, Nabooru. Supposedly, the Hammer of Earth is in a cave underneath Death Mountain. So now that we know where to go first, let's do it!" As the four left the castle, they saw their horses tied outside. Nabooru would ride a dark brown mare, Zelda a white mare, Link would have Epona, and there was a stocky black gelding for Darunia. However, when Link's sworn brother saw the supposed mode of transportation for him, he quickly made excuses about how, "Gorons really aren't meant to ride horses..." and chose to walk/ roll during the journey.

As the group left Hyrule, Link thought back to after Zelda left the room. There were a few things Zelda hadn't packed that he was bringing along as a "surprise." She couldn't have packed them, he'd never told anyone that he brought back some of the masks he'd accumulated as he helped save the parallel world centered around Clock Town. Deku, Goron, Zora, and Fierce Deity, he'd saved them all. It would have been nice to keep some of the more useful masks such as the bunny hood and stone mask, but it was worth sacrificing them to get the Fierce Deity. If all else failed, he could use that to fight Ganondorf. As for the others, he was sure he could find a use for them at some point considering all the different terrains they were about to face. _And we need all the help we can get._

The ride to Kakariko didn't take too long. Arriving around noon, they decided just to go to Death Mountain right away. "You did find out where the entrance to the temple is, right Link?" Zelda asked, gazing around at the barren landscape. "I can't see anything that looks like it would lead to a magical hammer."

Laughing, Darunia told her, "That's the way things go on this mountain. We're too busy surviving and finding time to enjoy ourselves a little to make everything all pretty like your castle, Princess. Granted, the Megaton Hammer had a more impressive doorway than whatever we're looking for here, but this thing _is_ supposed to be kept a secret. Which reminds me, Brother," he continued, turning towards a frowning and slowly walking Link, "What exactly do we plan to do with these things once we've pounded Ganondorf into oblivion with them?"

Still walking heel to toe, Link said to him, "Not now, Darunia! You'll throw off my count. Rauru's directions were to go '123 heroic feet from the Goron's Kitchen.' So I get to pace out 123 of my feet away from Dodongo's Cavern. Crap, I lost count!" Turning around, he exasperatedly stomped back to the entrance of the cave.

Staring at the blank wall confusedly, Nabooru questioned, "So what exactly are we supposed to do to the wall to get it open?" Walking over to lean against the mountain, she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms saying, "It's not like the wall will just dissa-WAAH!" The others quickly looked up just in time to see Nabooru fall backwards into a vacant space in the wall disguised by magic.

Grinning impishly, Link laughed, "Well that saves me a little work, let's get going." When they tried to walk through the space Nabooru fell through, however, Darunia wound up walking smack into solid rock. Frowning, Link mused, "It looks like only the person who is going to use the weapon is allowed in. Must be a type of test to prove them worthy or whatever...the Goddesses know I've had to do enough of that!"

"So what are we supposed to do?!?" demanded Darunia. "We have to just sit around and wait here for her to get the hammer? Great," he muttered to himself, "Just great. Nabooru gets to go off and fight monsters, and I'm stuck here with the lovebirds. Well, at least it'll be night soon, we can all just curl up...ehhh.........."

Giggling, Zelda asked, "What's wrong Darunia? Are you afraid to spend the night outdoors? Surely a big, tough Goron such as yourself isn't afraid of the dark."

"No," he replied, rolling his eyes, "Gorons are more courageous than that. The only thing we fear are two newlywed Hylians."

Shaking her head to make the room stop spinning, Nabooru stood up and looked around the tiny room she'd fallen into. It was dark, and there didn't seem to be anything there except for the large slab of carved stone in the middle of the room. Oddly enough, a light shone on it from no apparent opening. Walking over to examine it, she saw it read:

_Thou who seeks the strength of Earth_

_Shall not find thy task so simple_

_But to prove thy worth _

_Use cunning to open the temple_

"Well isn't this just great," Nabooru muttered. "I don't even have my weapon, I have no clue how to get out of here, none of my friends are able to help me, and now I'm talking to myself!" Taking another look around the small room, she mulled over the riddle on the stone. _Cunning, huh? Well, no Gerudo I know has ever lacked for that. What the heck kinda puzzle is this, though? Only one thing in the room...maybe I can move it._

Throwing her weight into the stone, she found that it wouldn't budge an inch. _So much for that plan..._Looking up from her crouching position, Nabooru was blinded by the light coming down from above. _Of course...the light! Sheesh, I'm the Sage of Spirit, I should have realized to use the light before. The question is where, however. _Pulling out a small mirror, she began to randomly aim the light along the walls. After a few minutes with no result, she felt ready to give up. Leaning herself over the slab to rest, she felt something along the top. Pulling away, she saw there was a small indent in the stone. Curiously, Nabooru placed her mirror on top of it, and a reflective beam of light shot back towards its invisible source. Instantly, a small patch in the ceiling dissolved.

"Yes!" she shouted in victory. Climbing onto the stone, she pulled herself up to the next level, and found a much more complex scene. Stone blocks scattered around in the room in strange patterns blocked her way to the ladder on the other side of the room. Close to her on the wall was another riddle:

_Alas, Earth's Chosen, thy task is far from done_

_However, should thou reach the sun_

_Thy journey shall truly begin_

"Ah...why can't they give the 'cunning' crap a rest?" she bemoaned. "Alright, time to get to work."

"YAAAAWWN!!!" let out the huge Goron. "Link, Zelda," Darunia stretched sleepily, "If you two don't come up with anything interesting in the next five minutes, I'm going to fall asleep right here." Night had fallen, and the trio was still waiting for Nabooru to emerge from the temple.

"Patience, Darunia," Zelda said calmly, staring at their campfire. "Nabooru will take only as long as she needs to, so you might as well just make yourself comfortable and wait."

"We Gorons can be as patient as a stone. Of course," he continued in a miffed tone, "I wouldn't expect either of you to understand the feelings of a Goron."

"I might understand how it feels to be Goron better than you think, Darunia," Link smiled as he added more wood to the fire. Seeing a good opening for sharing his masks, Link walked over to his pack and pulled out the Goron mask. "Darunia, Zelda, I'd like you to both meet Darmani," he said, slipping on the mask.

Alright, so this wasn't the greatest place to end the chapter, but it was getting so loooooooong!! I was going nuts!! Still am, but oh well. Ahhh!!!! It's done!! leaps about happily Now I just have...well, I have no clue how many more chapters this will be....maybe 1 or 2 for each temple...then fighting Ganondorf...I'm going to make it my goal to keep this thing under 15! So anyway...PLEASE REVIEW! I'm begging you all!!! C'mon, just one liddle review? Fine, enough of this. I'm going to stop before this gets too pathetic. It does feel good to read reviews though!!!


	4. Into the Mountain

Chapter 4

Yay! I'm so excited!! I got ONE review!! Thanks, Protoman001, du bist ganz toll!!! (that's about the same as you're awesome dude ) Well, I was all excited anyway, then my STUPID COMPUTER LOST THE FIRST PAGE OF THIS CHAPTER!!!!! sob Now I have to start it all over...grrrrr.....hopefully I can remember it!!

Disclaimer: We all know I'm poor and own nothing but the plot...sigh

"Darunia, Zelda, I'd like you both to meet Darmani," Link said, slipping on the mask. Once his transformation to a former Goron warrior was complete, he inspected the dumbfounded looks on the others' faces. "I picked this up during my travels in Termina."

"Link..." Darunia said, his jaw not far from the ground, "All those times I told you about how the other Gorons and I wished you'd been born one of us...it took you seven years to show me this?"

Shrugging apologetically, Link answered, "Sorry, Brother, but the time never seemed quite right before. Besides, even the Hero of Time needs to keep a few tricks up his sleeve."

"Anything else you'd like to share with the class, Link?" Zelda asked wryly once she'd regained her composure.

"As a matter of fact I do." Walking back over to his packs, Link pulled out the Zora and Deku masks. It would be better to start slowly and work up to the Fierce Deity's mask. "Here," he said, sitting down again by the fire, "These masks turn me into the creatures they look like as well. It would have been impossible for me to save Termina without them."

"How did you get them though?" Zelda asked, sounding puzzled, "They're so exact, you'd need a model to base them off of, as well as a considerable amount of magic."

"Well," Link explained, taking off his Goron mask, "When I first arrived, the Skull Kid cursed me and turned me into a Deku Scrub. After I got my mask back from him, though, the Happy Mask Salesman that Majora's Mask had been stolen from taught me the Song of Healing. It freed me and turned the Deku body into mask, courtesy of the Ocarina's magic, so that I could return to that form if I ever needed to."

Nodding, Zelda slipped into her scholar's mode and reasoned, "Well the Ocarina most certainly has enough magic for that. Since you've told me about most of your adventures there, I'll assume the Goron and Zora masks were once people. Didn't you mention the name Darmani?"

Smirking at his wife, Link replied, "I should just let you tell the story, you've figured out most of it!" Chuckling a little, he then continued, "Yes, I did meet Darmani the Goron in my travels. However, he was already dead. He was a ghost that had been a warrior, and got knocked off trying to restore the local temple. He was so ashamed he couldn't move on, so I played the Song of Healing to make him feel better, and in exchange the mask that would let me inhabit his body was created."

He then proceeded to tell the story of finding Mikau and healing his soul as well. Zelda payed rapt attention, but Darunia's mind seemed to wander a little now that they were no longer talking about a Goron. Once that was done, Link decided it was time to share his secret weapon. Stretching and leaning back, he said thoughtfully, "As helpful and as powerful as these masks were, all of them pale in comparison to the final mask I kept." Launching into the explanation he'd been wanting to say for years, Link brought both of his listeners back to full attention as they sat around their campfire under the stars.

Nabooru sat dejectedly on the floor cross-legged, looking dully at the mess before her. The riddle had been easy enough to figure out. There was a sun face above the door waaaaaaay on the other side of the chamber. The only problem was the multitude of big blocks that stood in her way. They all had moons and stars on them, and they weren't going anywhere. Try as she might, they wouldn't budge! _I'll never be able to move these rotten stones in a million years! Too bad I can't just hop on over to the other side of this room and..._ Falling flat on her back, the Gerudo not so silently cursed herself for not seeing it sooner. The damnable blocks didn't need to be moved! They formed a twisting and obscure path to the sun door! "Oh for the love of Din..." she muttered, and launched herself to the first block.

When she finally made it to the end, Nabooru was panting from exertion. Once weight was applied to the stones, they started to sink! She had been constantly moving from block to block with hardly a chance to check where she was jumping! By some stroke of luck however, she had made it. Time for the next room.

The door slid open, and as soon as she was inside, out popped a lovely Wolfos from the ground. "Finally," she chuckled ruefully, "I actually get to kill something!" The fight wasn't precisely one for the legends, even if she was taking on a Wolfos bare-handed. After all, she was a Gerudo, a thief who could make do with anything. In the corner was a Deku-baba, that apparently needed to be disposed of before Nabooru could advance again. Giving it a halfhearted side kick, she then leaned down to pick of the remaining Deku stick. "It's not much, but at least I have a staff of sorts now," she mused to herself. Seeing that the door was now unbarred, she continued on to her next challenge.

Or so she thought. In front of her feet was another plaque with writing, and beyond that, a pedestal above which a hammer floated. Looking back down, she read the inscription.

Chosen, thou hast proven thy wit

Chosen, thou hast proven thy might

Receive thy prize and cherish it

And hasten quickly to take flight

Grinning, Nabooru climbed onto the pedestal, inspecting her new weapon. It certainly looked impressive. It had a slender but strong 5 foot handle, and a head that looked about 8 inches in diameter. Although somewhat plain except for the metal studs that circled the ends of the head, it was obviously well crafted. _Duh, Nabooru, _she thought, _it's a legendary weapon! No shit it's well made! _As soon she grabbed the Hammer of Earth, Nabooru understood the last line of the inscription. The entire temple began shaking, and she raced as quickly as she could back to the entrance, which was not the easiest task when carrying a giant hammer! Once she reached the room she'd first found herself in, she looked around for a way out. Franticly searching the wall for a switch near where the door should have been, she pounded the wall shouting, "I...refuse...to die!!!" Stones fell from the ceiling, threatening to entomb the sage before she could take the Hammer away. _The Hammer!_ She thought as realization hit her. With a final burst of determination, she swung the weapon over her and crashed it into the wall. Crumbling easily, Nabooru found herself staring at her companions through the whole in the mountainside. Well, two of them looked like her friends, but Link was nowhere to be found, and instead there was a frightening looking character who seemed to radiate power. Everyone's jaw seemed to drop at the same time, excluding the stranger. However, he reached up to his face off, only making Nabooru even more frightened. _Is this guy nuts??_ She wondered, more than half shocked. She had only thought she was shocked, though, when the person melted into Link! There was silence for a few more moments, and then everyone tried to tell their story at the same time.

Eventually, things were sorted out, everyone calmed down, and Link retold his mask explanation, which Nabooru followed with her information about the temple. By the time everyone was satisfied, daylight was about to break, and no one had gotten a wink of sleep at all.

Ok, sorry this one was pretty short, but this seemed like as good of a stopping place as any. Granted, I could have made it a cliff hanger...perhaps next time. Heh, I did feel kinda bad about complaining that my chapters were getting long....but then I read this fic where the author complained about the thing being super long. Oh yeah, the thing that made me feel better was that it couldn't have been much longer than a page


	5. Romantic Interlude

Chapter 5

Ahhhhhhh! The curse of school is upon us!!! Damn it all, I already have too much homework to feel inspired to write. Well, at least I still have the weekends! Oh wait...I work on the weekends don't I... crap. Anyway, there isn't too much of a plot to this chapter, I've just been working on it whenever random ideas pop into my head. Just don't say I didn't warn you.

"Can we stop walking yet?" Darunia of all people complained.

"First of all," Zelda said, "no. Second, everyone else is riding as you can plainly see, and the horses aren't tired in the least. Third, you chose to walk so just suck it up!"

After a few days of being on the road, everyone was getting, well, cranky. Due to the constant need of staying out of sight, they hadn't stopped at any towns, and were all getting on each other's nerves. They desperately needed a break from each other.

It was Link who finally broke down and decided they should spend a night on their own. Zelda insisted she stay with him, but Nabooru and Darunia had no objections. All that remained was how they would pull it off.

"Obviously we can't be identified," Link mused, "However, I think my masks should solve that problem. Now we just need to decide who gets to be what. I don't mind what mask I wear, so long as it isn't the Deku one," he said, shuddering at the memory of being trapped in that form.

"I might as well stay a Goron," Darunia supplied, "I've no desire to go flitting around anything else."

Chuckling, Nabooru said, "That Deity guise of yours certainly looked interesting. It might be an amusing change to try out a sword as well." Looking over at Zelda she added, "I guess that makes you the Scrub then, Princess."

Zelda merely laughed though, saying, "I think not. After all, I have my Shiek disguise, which is a much better alternative to a child-size Deku."

Darunia guiltily cleared his throat and nervously laughed saying, "Uh, well Princess...um, there might just be a little problem with that."

Zelda whirled on him, failing to hold her anxiety in about what Darunia was implying. "Is there something you'd like to say about this matter, my dear Goron?" she asked dangerously sweet voice. "Because if something has happened to any of my belongings, I may have to take measures to ensure the person who let it happen is indeed sorry."

"Well I may have...," Darunia began, looking completely terrified of the sage, "In the process of stopping my rolling when I came into camp last night..._slightly_ damaged it." Seeing the look of unadulterated fury on Zelda's face, he dropped to the ground, curled up in a ball and shouted, "Please don't hurt me, Princess! It was an accident! I swear I didn't mean to roll over your packs!"

Link sighed as he watched the display of an outraged Hylian princess berating a petrified Goron leader. Any other day he might have found it amusing, but there had just been too much tension lately between the party, and he needed a break from it. _I knew there was I reason I always worked solo, _he thought to himself wryly. He had to keep himself from laughing at his wife's predicament though. Link knew he should feel bad for her drawing the short straw, but it was going to be hilarious to see his princess in the body of a Deku Scrub.

"Link, I feel ridiculous," the now diminutive princess told her husband, who was currently amusing himself by firing his fins off into the distance. He had always been taller than her, but this was ridiculous. In her Deku disguise and his Zora one, Link was over twice her own size. This wasn't precisely what she had in mind for a relaxing night alone with him.

"It's not really all that bad once you get used to it, Zel," Link soothed, "Besides, you only have to wear it in public. Behind closed doors, it hardly matters." Smiling tenderly at her, he added, "We _are_ supposed to be slightly inconspicuous. Even if Darunia hadn't inadvertently wrecked your own disguise, a Shiekah might attract just a tad more attention that a young Scrub."

Zelda very much wanted to say something coy at the moment, perhaps shoot some puppy-eyes at her hero, but that was out of the question for a squeaky little Deku Scrub, so she contented herself to briefly hug Link's leg.

Laughing, Link got a mischievous in his eyes, and hoisted Zelda up onto his shoulders before she could object. "You'll have a better view," he explained vaguely, not telling her it was something he'd always thought would be interesting to do.

Zelda decided that if Link was going to play games, she would have to plan a few choice surprises for him as well. Clapping her hands over his eyes, she smirked as he stumbled over a small stone in Hyrule Field. This promised to be more interesting than she'd first thought!

Link had to admit, this was exactly what he needed. True, Ganondorf was on the loose, doing Din knows what, but tonight, it just didn't seem to matter. He and Zelda were together, and that was all that was important tonight.

Zelda had suggested they visit the Kokiri, just to check in on them. It sounded tempting to talk to Saria, but Link had a different idea in mind. At the moment, they were relatively near Lon Lon Ranch, but distance wasn't a factor when the magic of a certain instrument was involved.

"So where are we going, Link?" Zelda asked, gazing down at him from her perch on his shoulders with her currently amber eyes.

"You'll just have to wait and see." He pulled the Ocarina of Time from its pouch at his side, and put it to his lips. Quietly, the Serenade of Water poured out of the tiny instrument, and Link felt the magic surround the two Hylians.

"It's beautiful," Zelda breathed. Lake Hylia was beautiful at anytime, but on this clear night it seemed endlessly peaceful and serene. Sighing, she reasoned, "Even if anyone's out here, I doubt they'd recognize us in the dark." Before the Hero of Time could protest, she pulled off the mask, and kissed him.

Breaking the kiss, Link smiled thinly and muttered, "In for a green Rupee, in for a gold," and pulled off his own mask. As he pocketed the ocarina, he smiled down at it, remembering the song he'd just played.

"I remember when you taught me all those songs. I couldn't have even dreamed of awakening the sages without your help." Smoothing back Zelda's hair, he told her, "You've always been there for me when I needed you, even if I didn't know it was you at the time."

"Don't be ridiculous," the princess admonished, placing her head on his green clad chest. '_If only I could get him to wear a different color from time to time,'_ she mused to herself. "After all," she continued, sighing heavily, "I got you into all that mess in the first place. If it weren't for me, you'd still be trying to explain why you've grown up to the Kokiri."

"Stop blaming yourself!" Link frowned, and held her out at arms length. "I could say that it was just fate, or the will of the goddesses, but when it all boils down to a cut and dried explanation, the fault lies with Ganondorf."

Letting go of his wife, Link lay down on the warp pad and stared up at the twinkling stars in the sky. Zelda mimicked him and settled in next to him, snuggling a little closer and a cool breeze swept through the darkness.

Before falling asleep, he murmured, "I swore to you that we would defeat him again. Just don't let him defeat you first."

Zelda kissed his forehead, pondering his words. She laid her own head on his chest, with the full intent of falling asleep, but found she couldn't. When she saw her hand resting on Link's chest, she realized why. Her Triforce of Wisdom was glowing, pulsing with an unnatural light. It felt as if it was warning her, but of what?

Sitting up carefully, so not to disturb her resting hero, Zelda looked around the lake. It was a fairly clear night, so she could see decently. Oddly enough, the twin mark on Link's hand was still dormant. _'What in the name of Farore is going on?' _she wondered to herself.

Whatever it was, she decided now was no time for Link to be snoozing. Gently shaking him awake, Zelda showed him her hand, which was all it took for him to fully wake up.

"What do you think it means?" He whispered urgently, the romance gone from the night.

Shaking her head, Zelda replied, "I'm not entirely sure, but it almost seems....it seems like the Triforce is pulling me towards something." True to her word, Zelda's hand seemed to rise of its own accord, pointing toward the east side of the lake like a compass.

"I have a very bad feeling about this, Link," she said hesitantly, pulling her hand close to herself. "We should leave before anything happens. We can't be discovered, and by the time anyone hears the ocarina's notes, we'll be long gone."

The Hero of Time peered through the darkness at the lakeshore, brows knitted together in worry. Finally, he let out a sigh and nodded. "You're right, Zel. As much as I'm curious to know what your Triforce is trying to tell us about, we should get out of here."

"Thank you," Zelda replied quietly, and pulled herself close to Link so that the ocarina would transport them both. As she heard the resounding notes of the Nocturne of Shadow, the princess took one more look to the point where her Triforce drew her. Just before the couple was whisked away, she found her breath stolen from her with a soft cry of, "No!"

This may possibly be the shortest chapter I've ever written, and with the time it's taken for me to post this thing, I apologize. I haven't updated this in awhile in part because it doesn't seem like people are reading it. What's the point of writing to no one? :sobs: If you people had any decency you'd review!


End file.
